French Music – Let’s get out of town Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 21, 2020 in Culture, Language, Music, Vocabulary
Let’s take another trip this week. This time, to a charming little corner of province.
La province (not to be confused with La Provence) is a generic term for “everything in France that isn’t la région parisienne/Ile-de-France (the region around Paris known as Ile-de-France) … though not everyone is happy with that term anymore.
The French musical group Trois Cafés Gourmands(Three cafés gourmands) celebrates their own little coin de province (corner of the country) in À nos souvenirs (To our memories).
| Comment puis-je oublier | How can I forget |
| Ce coin de paradis? | This corner of paradise? |
| Ce petit bout de terre | This little piece of earth |
| Où vit encore mon père | Where my father still lives |
| Comment pourrais-je faire | What could I ever do |
| Pour me séparer d’elle? | To separate myself from it? |
| Oublier qu’on est frères | Forget that we are brothers |
| Belle Corrèze charnelle | Beautiful, carnal Corrèze |
| Oublier ce matin que tu es parisien | Forget for this morning that you are Parisian |
| Que t’as de l’eau dans le vin | That your wine is diluted (lit. You’ve got water in the wine) |
| Que tu es parti loin | That you went far away |
| Ce n’était pas ma faute | It wasn’t my fault |
| On joue des fausses notes | One plays the wrong notes |
| On se trompe de chemin | One picks the wrong path |
| Et on a du chagrin | And ends up sorrowful |
| On se joue tout un drame | Gets caught up in the drama |
| On a des vagues à l’âme | Rides a wave of sadness |
| Tu as du mal au cœur | Your heart aches |
| Tu as peur du bonheur | You’re afraid of happiness |
| Acheter des tableaux | Buying paintings |
| Et des vaches en photo | And pictures of cows |
| C’est tout ce que t’as trouvé | Is all that you’ve found |
| Pour te la rappeler | To remind you of it |
| Vous me trouvez un peu con | You find me a little dumb |
| N’aimez pas ma chanson | Don’t like my song |
| Vous me croyez bizarre | You find me strange |
| Un peu patriotard | A little chauvinistic |
| Le fruit de ma réflexion | The fruits of my reflection |
| Ne touchera personne | Won’t touch anyone |
| Si vos pas ne résonnent | Whose footsteps never echo |
| Jamais dans ma région | In my region |
| C’est pire qu’une religion | It’s worse than a religion |
| Au-delà d’une confession | Beyond a confession |
| Je l’aime à en mourir | I love it to death |
| Pour le meilleur et pour le pire | For better or for worse |
| Et si je monte au ciel | And if I go up to the sky (heaven) |
| Il y aura peut être Joël | Maybe there will be Joel |
| Guillaume et Jeremy | William and Jeremy |
| Et mon cousin Piedri | And my cousin Piedri |
| Yoan sera en voyage | Yoan will be travelling |
| Dans un autre pays | In another country |
| Allez fais tes bagages | Go pack your bags |
| Viens rejoindre tes amis | Come meet up with your friends |
| On veut du Clody Musette | We want some Clody Musette |
| À en perdre la tête | To lose our minds in |
| On veut un dernier Chabrol | We want a last Chabrol |
| Un petit coup de gnôle | A little shot of moonshine/schnapps |
| Les yeux de nos grands-mères | Our grandmothers’ eyes |
| La voix de nos grands pères | Our grandfathers’ voices |
| L’odeur de cette terre | The smell of this earth |
| Vue sur les Monédières 1Local mountains in the region. | The view of the Monédières |
| C’est pire qu’un testament | It’s better than a testament |
| Au-delà d’une confidence | Beyond a secret |
| On est des petits enfants | We are the little children |
| De ce joli coin de France | Of this pretty corner of France |
| Enterrez-nous vivants | Bury us alive |
| Bâillonnés s’il le faut | Gagged if it must be |
| Mais prenez soin avant | But take care before |
| De remplir notre jabot | To feed us well (lit. Fill our crops) |
| La relève est pour toi | The next shift is yours |
| Notre petit Lucas | Our little Lucas |
| On te laisse en héritage la piste | We’re leaving to you the runway |
| Nous on dégage | We’re clearing out |
| Le temps nous a gâtés | Time has spoiled us |
| On en a bien profité | We took full advantage |
| On a des souvenirs en tête | Our heads are full of memories |
| Ce soir, faisons la fête | Tonight, we celebrate |
| Acceptez ma rengaine | Have my refrain |
| Elle veut juste dire “je t’aime” | It just means « I love you” |
| Soyez sûr, j’en suis fier | Be sure/know this, I am very proud |
| J’ai la Corrèze dans le cathéter | I’ve got Corrèze in my blood (lit. in the catheter) |
| D’être avec vous ce soir | Being with you this evening |
| J’ai le cœur qui pétille | My heart bubbles |
| Mimi, sers-nous à boire | Mimi, serve us a drink |
| On a les yeux qui brillent | Our eyes are shining |
| Acceptez ma rengaine | Accept my chorus |
| Elle veut juste dire “je t’aime” | That just means « I love you” |
| Soyez sûr, j’en suis fier | And know, that it makes me proud |
| J’ai la Corrèze dans le cathéter | I’ve got Corrèze in my blood (lit. in the catheter) |
| D’être avec vous ce soir | Being with you this evening |
| J’ai le cœur qui pétille | My heart bubbles |
| Mimi, sers-nous à boire | Mimi, serve us a drink |
| On a les yeux qui brillent | Our eyes are shining |
Photo by Movidagrafica Barcelona from Pexels
- 1Local mountains in the region.
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About the Author: Tim Hildreth
Since my first trip to France at 16, I have been a passionate francophile. I love the language, food, music, art, people, and more that make France and la Francophonie in general such an amazing part of our global community. Having lived in France and studied the language and culture for over 35 years, it is my great pleasure to be able to share a little bit of my deep love with you through this blog.